Mind Mapping and the development of the textual component of writing competence in french as a foreign language

Abstract

This article examines the effect of mind mapping on the development of writing
competence among second-year secondary school students (2AS) in the Algerian
educational context. The study is grounded in the competency-based approach adopted
by the Algerian education system since 2003 and draws on Dabène’s (1991) model of
writing competence. The analysis focuses on the textual component of writing
competence, particularly textual coherence and cohesion, drawing on the theoretical
contributions of text linguistics. The research follows a quasi-experimental design
comparing a control group and an experimental group through a pre-test/post-test
protocol. Students in both groups completed a writing task following an instructional
sequence on anticipatory science fiction short stories, during which those in the
experimental group benefited from cognitive mediation based on mind mapping
throughout all the learning activities. The findings indicate improved writing
performance in both groups, with substantially greater progress observed in the
experimental group, highlighting the pedagogical value of mind mapping as an effective
tool for developing writing competence in French as a Foreign Language (FFL).